The Driving Law changes you need to know about

17th May 2019

In 2019, we’ve already seen a number of changes to driving
laws which could affect you or your employees. The rules have been changed to
improve safety, but they also include changes to punishments if you break them.

In this article, we’re going to quickly run through the
changes so you know what you can and can’t do:

Changes to Car Tax

Car Tax increased in April, in line with inflation. Drivers
may face an increase of between £5 and £65. Cars that produce 0g/km of CO2
emissions and cost under £40,000 are exempt from tax.

Civil Liability Act

The main motor-related update to the Civil Liability Act involves changes to Whiplash claims. New regulations will provide a tariff of the levels of compensation payable for different severities of whiplash. Whiplash claims currently add around £90 to the average motor insurance premium. Under these reforms, the maximum fixed tariff for a whiplash injury is set at £3,275.

There’s also been an update to the code which details the changes made to MOT requirements in 2018 (new categories for cars; Dangerous, Major, Advisory, and Pass and drivers must be aware of new checks for things like under-inflated tyres and contaminated brake fluid.

Overtaking Cyclists

Cyclist deaths from road accidents are unfortunately all too common. It’s clear that on too many occasions, drivers and cyclists aren’t paying enough attention to the actions of the other.

In the Highway Code, it has recommended that drivers leave
4ft 11in between themselves and cyclists when overtaking. This has now been
updated to include fines and points for drivers who ‘dangerously’ overtake
cyclists.

Police forces around the UK have started issuing £100 fines,
and even pushing for prosecutions, for those drivers who aren’t leaving a safe
gap when overtaking.

Smart Motorways

In 2019, the government plans to introduce £100 penalties
for drivers caught using lanes marked ‘x’ on smart motorways. There’s a likelihood
that any driver issued with the fine will collect three points on their license
as well.

Graduated Driving License

A GDL scheme is being piloted in Northern Ireland in 2019/20
and will see new drivers given time-limited restrictions on their license. The
restrictions may include curfews on the times they’re allowed on the road,
speed limitations, passenger limitations and lower blood alcohol level
allowances.

The government have talked about testing such a scheme for a
while and they already operate in the US, Australia and New Zealand. If the
scheme works, expect it to be rolled out across the rest of the UK in the near
future.